By Charlie Adcock, F311374
FMCA National President
March 2014
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family.
I hope this finds everyone wrapping up their winter activities and anticipating a welcome, beautiful spring and a fun, travel-filled summer. This winter has been particularly hard in some parts of the country, with severe cold and heavy snows, and even wildfires have abounded. But we seem to always bounce back. I hope that each of you came out okay. And, before I forget it, I want to apologize for a mistake I made in the January issue. I was quickly reminded that ole Johnny Cash didn’t make the song “I’ve Been Everywhere” famous in the United States. It was Hank Snow. Sorry about that; I do like the song, though.
Last month I mentioned that we had a new addition to our farm — a pygmy goat named Gucci. Well, a lot has happened since Gucci arrived. First off, I didn’t have a pen that would hold Gucci, so I had tied her up with a long rope. A couple of weeks ago, I had a friend come over and help me take an awning off of my RV building so that it could be recovered. While he was there, I asked whether he could “goat proof” one of the pens at the barn for Gucci. I took him over to the barn and showed him what I wanted, and then we returned to the RV building to remove the awning. Wouldn’t you know that Gucci broke loose and beat us back to my house! She had about 8 feet of rope trailing behind her, so I jumped on that to corral her, and then I tied her to a tree while we went to the upholstery shop.
Upon returning, I discovered NO Gucci. She had gotten the rope untied and was nowhere to be seen. I got my golf cart out and started looking for her. Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine me riding around our 50-acre mini-farm calling out, “Here, Gucci, Gucci, Gucci. Where are you?” After awhile I started laughing at myself for how ridiculous I must sound. Then, I remembered that I have a neighbor building a new house across the road, and I surmised that Gucci probably heard the saws, hammers, and voices of the workers and went to investigate. I rode over and, sure enough, she was tied up to a bush at the construction site. She was sure glad to see me and hopped right on the golf cart for the ride home. Had I not found her, I think she was going to be goat stew for supper.
We finally got her pen “goat proofed,” so I’m hoping her wandering days are over. But, as those of you who have ever had a goat know well, that will be a tall order.
Something you may not know about me is that I am a rancher. That’s right. I have six Black Angus cows, and five of them should be calving about the time you are reading this article. One of them decided to take the year off. If she does not produce next year — well, you know what happens to non-producers.
All that said, I better see whether I can write something a little more serious before you flip the page and start reading Jerry Yeatts’ Executive Director’s Commentary. I will say this: I really admire Jerry and his writing skills. He always has a really great, informative article. He has fantastic insights into our organization and lifestyle and shares these from his perspective.
I hope you have registered for FMCA’s 89th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Perry, Georgia, by now. If you haven’t, it’s still not too late to join us for this March 17-20 event. One great thing about the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter is that there is always plenty of room. In fact, if your plans change at the very last minute and you find yourself nearby, just drive up to the gate, come on in, and register. We would sure love to see you there.
Our Convention Committee and Events Department have a lot of fun activities planned for you. I’m sure some of them will suit your fancy. For starters, we are going to have a silent auction that we are calling “Purses for a Purpose.” All the money raised will go to a local charity. I remember that we did this when we met in Madison, Wisconsin, and it was very successful. We also are going to have a golf cart driving skills contest. And if you remember the last time we were in Perry, we had pedal boat races, which were great fun. We’ll be doing that again this time.
All of you remember Sheldon, the FMCA mascot? I understand that we will be looking for Sheldon at this Reunion (I didn’t know he was lost!?). There will be geocaching with a Georgia twist and a best-dressed pet contest. Maybe I can bring Gucci (NOT). A Go Fishing! Tournament will take place at the Agricenter lake, which is home to some hungry fish just waiting for you to wet a line. And we will have a Passport To Perry contest in which attendees will collect passport stamps at various places on the fairgrounds in a set amount of time. We promise to have a lot of fun and games.
To make sure that all of this comes together, we have asked Gaye Young, F284657, to coordinate all of these activities. She will be like a “cruise director,” except on dry land. I guess that’s not a bad title, since we will all be arriving in our “land yachts”! For nearly 10 years, Gaye has been coordinating entertainment at regional and area rallies. She is a ball of fire and loves to have fun and help others do the same. Not only does she set up and organize entertainment, but she and her husband, Jerry, have even provided some of it with various impersonations. She even teaches line dancing! With her in charge, if you can’t find some fun things to do, you must be hiding in your motorhome!
The many new show coaches on display will feature innovations to whet your appetite. Plus, the indoor vendors will offer anything you could ever want for your ride. Don’t forget, if your motorhome needs repairs, we will have some companies there to provide service on various systems and components.
We will have a long list of seminars, both product-specific and educational. I also know that we have three nights of great entertainment lined up for your enjoyment. If you or your spouse is under the age of 60, we want you to attend a social for the Under 60 Task Force on Sunday evening, March 16, in order to get to know one another and also share ideas about how FMCA can continue to meet the needs of today’s motorhome owners.
At the time of this writing, our registration is running well ahead of our original projections for both family units and commercial members.
I would like to shift gears now and help you work on your long-range planning calendars. Don’t forget our next big Reunion will be in beautiful Redmond, Oregon, August 13-16, 2014. If you want to look a little farther down the road, we will be going to Pomona, California, March 26-29, 2015, and Madison, Wisconsin, July 29-August 1, 2015.
Of course, don’t forget about the area rallies and the opportunities they present. And I would be remiss not to mention your own chapter rallies. The Association Calendar beginning on page 78 of this issue or online at FMCA.com is your best source of rally information. When you are traveling, take the opportunity to visit other area rallies and check in with other chapters as well. National senior vice president Jon Walker and I have been doing that regularly, and it is a great way to meet more of our members and make new friends. And, volunteer when you can — be sure to give of your time and talents. With everyone working together, it makes the job much easier.
Gloria and I hope to see you in Perry. Please stop by and say hello to us.
Remember, “It’s all about having fun!”
Notice Of Annual Membership Meeting
Family Motor Coach Association’s Annual Membership Meeting will be held Saturday, August 16, 2014, during FMCA’s 90th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Redmond, Oregon.